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I once broke a shear pin after a length of old sump pump discharge hose buried under a snow pile became entangled in the auger blades. The spare shear pins were

I once broke a shear pin after a length of old sump pump discharge hose buried under a snow pile became entangled in the auger blades. The spare shear pins were missing, so I figured I'd take a cheap steel 1/4-20 bolt and grind it down until its just about a 1/16 of an inch diameter at the point where the auger tube and drive shaft meet. It did not work as the following snow fall I hit a rock and the damn thing jumped violently and I let go of the drive clutch which prevented it from completely self destructing. The auger tube hole was gouged from the screw on both sides, the screw bent into a Z shape and the housing was slightly bent askew. After some reforming in my shop it was working fine again and still runs to this day. That Craftsman 5HP blower has taken a hell of a beating, is in rough shape but still runs. I keep wanting to up the HP a bit but its seen enough abuse. Pro tip: always winterize the engine to keep it running for years. Drain the fuel completely, and drain the carburetor bowl. Pull the spark plug and put a cap full of motor oil in the cylinder and gently turn the engine over by hand using the pull cord to coat the walls. Also helps to tape over the exhaust and stuff the intake port with steel wool to keep critters out of the passages. I once had a generator suddenly stop working and upon pulling the plug found a dead spider across the electrodes which shorted it.

germinalphrase 2y ago
Yes, I made the mistake of failing to winterize and now I've got a tune up job on my hands. Got any good advice there?
- analog31 2y ago
  The thing I have had to do every winter is drop the carburetor bowl and spray carb cleaner up through the Jets. This means draining the gas into something, which I pre empt by draining it in the spring. Also this year I left the carb bowl off of it. And use the gas in the mower so you can start with fresh gas come winter.
dgfitz 2y ago
I'm sure you're tracking: but those shear pins shear for a reason. :)
- floatrock 2y ago
  In a pinch, you can just put a quarter across your fuse terminals if your fuses keep popping for some reason!
  - SteveNuts 2y ago
    I like to use old .22 bullets, they fit perfectly!
    - genewitch 2y ago
      your name and this comment instantly reminded me of the Lewis Black bit "Other idiots in Arkansas" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIYkaCAsTyw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIYkaCAsTyw For a second i heard lewis black in my head say "Steve shot his nuts off" but he doesn't, he actually says "thurston shot his nuts off"
AtlasBarfed 2y ago
Or buy an electric one. The entire array of two stroke lawn tools are obsolete with electric batteries and electric motors that are more compact, higher torque, quiter, and far less polluting. Soon, they will be cheaper. Unfortunately EV based tools slotted in the luxury upscale segment, abut vastly declining battery costs still haven't trickled down to the consumer. High density lfp and sodium ion and solid state should change this. The other crappy thing is that the tools use their differing shapes and molds to lock in you to a single line of tools., so you can reuse batteries across tools only of the same maker (which enables you to have a second set of freshly charged batteries when the primary drains, and you can charge the battery will hold you use the second set) Emer really need formalized standards to force battery companies to use an interchangeable standard like disposable batteries, electric plugs, railroad rails, etc ...and while they're at it, please force the plastic tote business to use a standard lid
- floatrock 2y ago
  Electric lawnmowers and leafblowers are great, but everyone I know who's tried a (battery) electric snowblower complains it's either underpowered for anything more than a dusting or it burns out after a season. All for electrifying all the things and getting rid of as many polluting two-stroke engines as possible, but heavy wet snow seems to be one place where the energy density of gasoline is the right tool for the job.
  - mikepurvis 2y ago
    Even electric lawnmowers can be a bit underwhelming power-wise. I share one with a few neighbours and it works well enough for our small downtown yards, but I would be pretty annoyed with it if I was trying to do a job any longer than about 30 minutes.
  - hunter-gatherer 2y ago
    I don't know... I watched my grandpa hand shovel heavy wet snow until the year he died. If we really care about polution, we'd just buck up and use a hand shovel.
nsxwolf 2y ago
I initially didn't take the "drain the fuel" advice when I got my snowblower, because I never did it for my lawnmower and it was fine year after year. And in its second season, it utterly failed to start. My friend gave me a tip to drain the fuel and put some fresh gas with a little jet fuel in it, and it started immediately.
- nemo44x 2y ago
  You can always stabilize your fuel too and it will last into the next season. However, depending on your climate it may be worth it to just buy cans of fuel at the hardware store. It's much higher quality than what you'll get at a gas station and doesn't contain additives, which are very problematic for carburetors when left in the tank until the next season. It cost more but if you're not blowing snow too often you probably won't even notice the cost. They also come in smaller cans so you can store nicely if needed.
  - SkyPuncher 2y ago
    I only use the high quality hardware store stuff now. I simply don’t run my snowblower enough for the price difference to be meaningful.
    - nemo44x 2y ago
      It's noticeably better. The engine timing is so good with it compared to the gas station stuff meant for fuel injected automobile engines. Higher octane and compression I believe and the snowblower engine just hums and burns clean.
      - dalyons 2y ago
        Huh. I had the opposite experience, bought some canned hardware store fuel for my snowblower out of laziness, and it wouldn’t even run. Seemed to be too high octane or something, kept stalling out. Had to drain it completely, put regular gas in and it’s fine.
dugmartin 2y ago
Good tip about blocking the intake/exhaust (I'll do that this year). I normally just hand pump out the gas until there is just a little left and then start it up and let it run dry. I then do an oil change and tape a note over the oil plug that I did the oil change as otherwise I'll not remember the next Winter.
HeyLaughingBoy 2y ago
Reminds me of the furnace that kept throwing a low combustion air pressure code (by blinking an LED). Turned out to be a now-dead bird that got sucked into the cold air intake.

germinalphrase 2y ago

Yes, I made the mistake of failing to winterize and now I've got a tune up job on my hands. Got any good advice there?

analog31 2y ago
The thing I have had to do every winter is drop the carburetor bowl and spray carb cleaner up through the Jets. This means draining the gas into something, which I pre empt by draining it in the spring. Also this year I left the carb bowl off of it. And use the gas in the mower so you can start with fresh gas come winter.

dgfitz 2y ago

I'm sure you're tracking: but those shear pins shear for a reason. :)

floatrock 2y ago
In a pinch, you can just put a quarter across your fuse terminals if your fuses keep popping for some reason!
- SteveNuts 2y ago
  I like to use old .22 bullets, they fit perfectly!
  - genewitch 2y ago
    your name and this comment instantly reminded me of the Lewis Black bit "Other idiots in Arkansas" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIYkaCAsTyw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIYkaCAsTyw For a second i heard lewis black in my head say "Steve shot his nuts off" but he doesn't, he actually says "thurston shot his nuts off"

AtlasBarfed 2y ago

Or buy an electric one. The entire array of two stroke lawn tools are obsolete with electric batteries and electric motors that are more compact, higher torque, quiter, and far less polluting. Soon, they will be cheaper. Unfortunately EV based tools slotted in the luxury upscale segment, abut vastly declining battery costs still haven't trickled down to the consumer. High density lfp and sodium ion and solid state should change this. The other crappy thing is that the tools use their differing shapes and molds to lock in you to a single line of tools., so you can reuse batteries across tools only of the same maker (which enables you to have a second set of freshly charged batteries when the primary drains, and you can charge the battery will hold you use the second set) Emer really need formalized standards to force battery companies to use an interchangeable standard like disposable batteries, electric plugs, railroad rails, etc ...and while they're at it, please force the plastic tote business to use a standard lid

floatrock 2y ago
Electric lawnmowers and leafblowers are great, but everyone I know who's tried a (battery) electric snowblower complains it's either underpowered for anything more than a dusting or it burns out after a season. All for electrifying all the things and getting rid of as many polluting two-stroke engines as possible, but heavy wet snow seems to be one place where the energy density of gasoline is the right tool for the job.
- mikepurvis 2y ago
  Even electric lawnmowers can be a bit underwhelming power-wise. I share one with a few neighbours and it works well enough for our small downtown yards, but I would be pretty annoyed with it if I was trying to do a job any longer than about 30 minutes.
- hunter-gatherer 2y ago
  I don't know... I watched my grandpa hand shovel heavy wet snow until the year he died. If we really care about polution, we'd just buck up and use a hand shovel.

nsxwolf 2y ago

I initially didn't take the "drain the fuel" advice when I got my snowblower, because I never did it for my lawnmower and it was fine year after year. And in its second season, it utterly failed to start. My friend gave me a tip to drain the fuel and put some fresh gas with a little jet fuel in it, and it started immediately.

nemo44x 2y ago
You can always stabilize your fuel too and it will last into the next season. However, depending on your climate it may be worth it to just buy cans of fuel at the hardware store. It's much higher quality than what you'll get at a gas station and doesn't contain additives, which are very problematic for carburetors when left in the tank until the next season. It cost more but if you're not blowing snow too often you probably won't even notice the cost. They also come in smaller cans so you can store nicely if needed.
- SkyPuncher 2y ago
  I only use the high quality hardware store stuff now. I simply don’t run my snowblower enough for the price difference to be meaningful.
  - nemo44x 2y ago
    It's noticeably better. The engine timing is so good with it compared to the gas station stuff meant for fuel injected automobile engines. Higher octane and compression I believe and the snowblower engine just hums and burns clean.
    - dalyons 2y ago
      Huh. I had the opposite experience, bought some canned hardware store fuel for my snowblower out of laziness, and it wouldn’t even run. Seemed to be too high octane or something, kept stalling out. Had to drain it completely, put regular gas in and it’s fine.

dugmartin 2y ago

Good tip about blocking the intake/exhaust (I'll do that this year). I normally just hand pump out the gas until there is just a little left and then start it up and let it run dry. I then do an oil change and tape a note over the oil plug that I did the oil change as otherwise I'll not remember the next Winter.

HeyLaughingBoy 2y ago

Reminds me of the furnace that kept throwing a low combustion air pressure code (by blinking an LED). Turned out to be a now-dead bird that got sucked into the cold air intake.